Holiday Past
by Kavella
Summary: When a holiday is being celebrated on Lothal, Ezra has some good memories and some bad memories. But when the crew tries to make it better, they get an unexpected visitor. The Empire.
1. Chapter 1

**Holiday Past**

Hello! And Happy Holidays! I hope you enjoy this story. There will only be two chapters.

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Kanan walked down the streets of Lothal. It was his turn to get supplies for their ship _The Ghost_, after having run out. But as he walked, he realized something was wrong. Something did not feel right. The streets were empty. It seemed that not a single being was outside their homes. All the market shops were closed, as well as the bars. Confused, Kanan turned back around and headed back to the ship. This had never happened before.

_What's going on?_

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Zeb entered his room, preparing to lie down and rest. When he opened the door, he saw Ezra, his roommate, still lying in bed. Zeb recalled that he did not get up to eat earlier when they finished off the last of the supplies for breakfast. However, Zeb just thought that the kid was off getting into trouble. He did not think that he would still be in his bed. It was not like Ezra to not be moving around. He was a very energetic kid. Debating whether to prank him or let him sleep, Zeb spoke up.

"Oi, kid. What are you still doing here?" Ezra turned around in his bed, his eyes bloodshot and tired.

"It's my room too. I can stay here." He argued, as he began to turn back around.

"Yeah – but you've been there all day." Zeb voiced his concerns, worried about his health. But he would never admit this to anyone.

"So?" Ezra replied back, and it sounded angry.

"So get up." Zeb said, deciding it was best for Ezra if he got up and did something. It would also be better for him, because then he would have the room to himself. Zeb walked over to the bed and grabbed Ezra's leg and pulled him off the bunk.

"Hey!" Ezra shouted as he fell onto the floor. Zeb continued dragging him, as Ezra desperately tried to grab onto something – anything. But it was no use. Zeb dragged him outside of the room and he ran back in and closed the door.

Ezra got up and banged on the door, shouting to let him back in. Knowing it was no use, he hit it one more time, and then he walked away from the door and into another room.

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Ezra was sitting and laying his head on the table when Hera saw him. She wondered what could possibly get his usual upbeat attitude so down. Even though he had a troubling past, he was still strong. She walked over to him and sat down.

"Hi Ezra." She said. But the boy barely registered her presence as he replied.

"Hey." Hera began to feel concerned. Most of the time the boy was talkative, trying to make up for all the years that he was alone.

"What are you up to today?" She questioned, trying to avoid what she really wanted to ask, knowing it would scare him off. Even though he was talkative, he sometimes got uncomfortable.

"Nothing." He responded, still staring off into nothing. Hera was about to question him about what was wrong, but the _swoosh_ of the doors in the room opening stopped her. She looked up, and the doorway stood Kanan. And something was wrong.

His faces looked concerned, as well as confused. Worry started to fill Hera's mind.

"Kanan? What happened?" Hera asked. Kanan turned towards her, but did not speak yet. Everything that Hera was afraid of filled her mind.

_Did the Imperials find us? Are they on their way? Is the Inquisitor here, demanding for Kanan and Ezra to surrender so they could kill them? _

Kanan then spoke up, stopping Hera from filling her mind with more worries and fears.

"The people on the planet..." Kanan started, and took a breath, his face showing concern. "They're all gone. Vanished." He walked out of the doorway, and the door closed behind him. Hera could see him thinking, as he placed his hand on his chin, thinking.

Hera was about to question what had happened, a snort could be heard from next to her. She turned, as did Kanan, at the source of the noise. It was Ezra.

He looked up at the two adults, their faces showing confusion, and he looked back down chuckling.

"Sorry, but that's just the most ridiculous explanation I've ever hear. _Vanished._ Ha!" He said again, as he continued to chuckle to himself.

"What do you mean?" Hera asked Ezra, who was shaking his head at them.

"I've heard everything. Plague, abandonment, _the Empire._ But vanished?" Ezra chuckled again. "That's a new one."

"What are you talking about? Do you know what happened?" Kanan asked, obviously annoyed that Ezra knew something they did not.

"As a matter of fact, I do know what happened. It's called _Lothal has a Holiday_." Ezra said sarcastically as he continued. "Every year around this time, everyone gathers together and celebrates being together. There's a gift exchange, great food, and…" Ezra paused, as the light in his face faded away. "And family." He said quickly, trying to brush it off as he always did. Hera looked to Kanan and they exchanged looks. They looked back at Ezra, who seemed to be lost in past memories.

"Anyway, everything closes down and everyone stays in their house and relaxes. Everything will go back to normal tomorrow. So no reason to freak out." Ezra said as he stood up. Hera looked at Kanan, and gave him a look. Kanan took the hint.

"Ezra – Are you okay?" Kanan voiced to his padawan out of concern, that reflected on his face. Hera looked to Ezra to see how he would respond.

"I'm fine." He responded, but she knew this was not true. She could see it in his eyes. They were distant, probably recalling times where he was with his family, or maybe all those times he was alone. But what he failed to realize, was that he was not alone anymore. He did not have to put up an act.

But as Hera thought, she finally began to understand.

He put on this act because it was what he was used to. He never got a complete childhood, having to grow up too fast on the crime ridden streets of the planet. He had to put up this act of being okay even when he was not. It was what he had adapted to, and it was what he was use to by now. Hera promised to herself that this year it would be different. She did not celebrate the Holiday, but Ezra did, or use to. And that was good enough for her.

Ezra turned and walked out the door, looking at the floor as he walked. As soon as the door closed, she looked up at Kanan, with a grin on her face.

"Uh-oh." Kanan said. "I know that look. What are you going to pull me into _this_ time?"

"What are you talking about? This is my normal look." Hera teased. "And I'm not _pulling _you into this. I'm _forcing_ you." She smirked.

"There it is. What do you have in mind?"

"We are going to make this Holiday, Ezra's best Holiday yet."

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As soon as Ezra was out of the room, he let out the breath that he noticed he was holding in. He walked off the ship and up into his tower, where he had spent the last few years alone. He walked onto the balcony, to his favorite spot on the edge. He leaned on the railing, and looked out into the city, as he thought of the Holidays in his past.

_Eight Years Ago_

Ezra woke up, and immediately his mind was flooded with thoughts. Today was the day! He jolted up in his bed, and looked out the window. The sun was just rising, and it reflected off the walls in the city. He threw of his covers, and ran across the hall into his parent's room. He sprang up onto the bed, and began jumping around. He knew he would be in trouble later, but he was too excited to care.

His mom and dad awoke, and were smiling at their son's joy. They walked down the stairs into the living room, where a present sat on the table. He ran to it, and tore open the paper.

_Present_

Ezra smiled at the memory that played in his head. His parents always made him the best breakfast after he opened his present, and they would play with him all day. The memories made him smile, but the smile quickly faded away when he had another memory of after they were gone.

_Two Years Ago_

Ezra was bored out of his mind. He sat in his tower, just feeling sorry for himself. And he hated that. He was okay. At least, he tried to convince himself he was. Deciding to try to take his mind off the day, he walked into town, fully aware that it would be empty.

He did not dare go anywhere near his home. He did not trust his emotions to stay firm and unchanging, even though he wanted to cry.

He walked around, scavenging for any food he could find, which was very little considering most of it was going into people's stomachs at the time. He let out a small sigh. Why did he stay here, in his home city? He had a speeder. He could leave. He could drive away, and never look back. Maybe start a new life.

But he knew why he stayed.

Secretly, even though he had convinced himself otherwise, he wanted his parents to be alive. He wanted them to come home one day, and maybe he could go back to normal.

He shook his head as he walked the empty streets. Nothing would ever be the same if they came back. And they would not come back. They were dead. But no matter how many times he told people that, no matter how many times he had told himself, he could still feel a sliver of hope. But he could not let it consume him. If it did, he knew that he could never move on. But did he want to move on?

_Present_

Ezra stood up, done with reflecting of his past experiences of this day. He shook his head, and started walking back to the ship, still lost in thought. However, the sound of a speeder brought him back to reality. He looked up to see three Imperials on speeders, which halted right in front of him. On the one closest to him, there sat Kallus, holding something small in his hand.

"Happy Holidays, Rebel." He smirked, and threw what he had in his hand and sped off. Ezra looked down to what he through, and as he heard the beeping sound, he figured it out pretty quickly.

Adeline rushed through him as he bolted in the other direction as fast as he could, but the explosion caught up to him, and the world went black.

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Next part coming out tomorrow!

Read and Review!

~ Kavella ~


	2. Chapter 2

Hello! I hope you like the end to this Holiday Story.

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Ezra awoke with a jolt, and pain surged over him. He was lying on the ground, and slowly he recalled what had happened. Kallus had tried to kill him. But how did he find him? He was not anywhere near- The ship!

The thought occurred to Ezra and it jolted him out of the haze he was in. What if Kallus had gotten to the other members of the crew? What if they were all dead?

Ignoring his injuries, Ezra pulled himself up and though the pain that it caused and ran as fast as possible to the ship. He needed to know if his friends were okay.

He ran, and when he saw The Ghost in one piece, he let out a small breath. He continued running up into the ship. He had to make sure they were okay. He ran up the ramp, and through the halls, and was about to run straight to the cockpit, when a loud yell stopped him.

"Surprise!" Ezra stopped dead in his tracks, and looked around. He was in the same room as before, but everything had changed. The whole crew was there, and there were colorful ribbons placed around the room. He saw a big pot and bowls, meaning that Hera had probably cooked something for all of them. He looked up to the crew's faces, which turned from happy to confusion very quickly. Looking down at himself, he figured out why.

His knees were scrapped because of a giant hole right where his knee was. There were cuts all over him, showing places where a small bit of the blaster had got him. The main injury was his left arm. As he looked at it, he realized that it was hanging at an awkward angle, and that he had no control over it. He did not even want to know what his face looked like. All of the pain suddenly came rushing back to him, and feeling faint from running all the way here despite his pain, he stumbled.

Kanan was immediately there to catch him. He could faintly hear him barking orders. Maybe they were directed at him, maybe not. He did not care anymore; he was too tired to care. He slowly drifted to sleep.

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"He's coming!" Kanan yelled, having sensed Ezra's presence on the ship. He could feel the kid coming closer and closer – but something was wrong. His emotions were filled with worry. Kanan was confused. What could have possibly made the kid feel-?

He got his answer when the doors opened.

"Surprise!"

There stood Ezra, relief in his eyes as well as confusion. He looked around as if nothing was wrong, staring at the decorations. Soon enough, he made eye contact with Kanan, and he knew his padawan could see the worry on his face. As he looked down at his injuries, so did Kanan. He looked like he got run over by a heard of Banthas. There was dirt all over his face and hands, as well as blood, and his left arm looked contorted. Kanan started walking towards Ezra to get a better look at him, but before he could, the kid's face turned pale and he began to stumble forward, completely unable to control his body. Kanan rushed over and caught him just in time.

"Zeb, go get the bandages from the infirmary. Sabine, get some water. Chopper, put your taser away! Hera, help me get him in bed."

He looked up at Hera, who looked shocked at Ezra's limp body lying in Kanan's arms. She ran over and kneeled down, and helped Kanan pick the kid up.

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Ezra opened his eyes, and looked around at his surroundings. He was in his room, lying in bed. He noticed the arm sling first. It was white and cradled his left arm against his body. He could feel some bandages around his knees as well.

He sat up, and jumped down off of the top of the bunk. He regretted his decision as soon as he hit the ground, as pain surged from his knees. He winced and crouched down, waiting for it to pass. Gathering his strength, he stood up, and walked out of his room. He went back to where he last remembered he was, hoping to find some answers. As he walked in, two faces looked up at him. Kanan and Hera sat, resting their elbows on the table.

The stood up, looking in concern at Ezra.

"Umm…hi," Ezra said, feeling slightly awkward.

"Ezra, what are you doing out of bed?" Hera asked, and went over to him, assessing if any bandages had gotten lose.

"But while you're up, can I ask a question?" Kanan said, as Hera gave him a look. Ezra looked at Kanan, already knowing the question.

"Sure."

"What happened?" Kanan asked, and they both looked at him. Ezra wanted to tell them, but he knew they would be worried. Taking a breath, he started to talk.

"I was walking around Lothal, and three speeders snuck up on me," he started, but when he looked at Kanan, he was getting a weird look.

"Speeders _snuck up_ on you?" He asked suspiciously.

"Well, I wasn't exactly paying attention," he replied with a sheepish look on his face. He then continued. "And they might have kind of thrown a bomb at me."

"What!?" Shouted both of them at the same time.

"I'm okay though. I outran the blast," Ezra said, "Or, most of it anyway."

The adults were speechless. Kanan, shaking off how reckless his padawan was, reached down and brought up a present.

"Ezra, we wanted to celebrate with you. Or, we were going to, until you ran in looking like a complete disaster." Kanan said, handing him the gift. Ezra took it, but a look of hesitance reflected on his face. Kanan picked up on this pretty fast.

"What's wrong?" He asked.

"Nothing. It's just-" Ezra paused, gathering his thoughts. "I can't accept this."

"What do you mean?" Hera asked, a little hurt after spending about an hour trying to find something he might like.

"I mean, I don't want anything. I don't _need _anything," he corrected himself. "I've celebrated this day eight times without my parents. Doing it now, it..it would just feel weird." He put the present back on the table in front of Kanan.

"Ezra – I know you had a hard time having to grow up so fast on your own. And I know that you're afraid of changing back to the old you – when your parents were still around." Kanan said, as Ezra shifted nervously from foot to foot. "But right here, right now, you're with us. And we're your family."

Kanan looked at Ezra, who finally looked up from his feet. "I know." He said, and smiled. Just then Sabine and Zeb walked in, looking anxious.

"So- can we eat or what?" Zeb asked.

"Ezra, you have to try Hera's soup. It's the best in the Galaxy." Sabine said, as she picked up a stack of bowls and started passing them out.

"Why, thank you Sabine," Hera said, and smiled at the compliment. She started giving out the soup, and just the smell made Ezra's mouth water. He figured that Kanan was right. He should not have to worry about the stuff he had to before. After all, he was just a kid.

And he had a family now.

It was not perfect, but it was his. And that was good enough for him.

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Happy Holidays!

~ Kavella ~


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